All About Watch Crystals - Watch and Learn #2
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- čas přidán 10. 10. 2016
- In this second episode of Watch and Learn, we will discuss the 3 types of crystals you find on today's wristwatches, discuss the pluses and minuses of both, and give a water droplet demonstration that can help you tell the difference between mineral and sapphire crystals.
Links to items discussed in the video:
Poly Watch for cleaning plastic crystals: www.polywatch.de/en/index.php
Some diamond suspension products used for polishing mineral and sapphire crystals:
www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/s...
Aftermarket watch crystals and presses:
www.esslinger.com/watch-crystals/
www.ofrei.com/page809.html
longislandwatch.com/ - Jak na to + styl
This series is gold, thank you so much. I always wanted to learn about watches, but not on a professional level, just as a hobby.
Well done on the crystal materials. Some years ago from the late 1960's through the 1980's Seiko coated the acrylic crystals on some of their upper end lower tier and their mid-tier watches with a material that hardened the surface to nearly the same as mineral glass. Seiko had a proprietary name for it that I've not been able to find. I've got two vintage Seiko with this crystal material. They cannot be polished like standard acrylic or Hesalite and are extremely durable and scratch resistant, looking just about like they did when new 35-40 years ago. They were overtaken by Seiko's Sapphlex (a sapphire coated hardlex) and Hardlex when those became economically viable for the upper end of lower tier watches. Sapphlex similarly was discontinued as the cost of sapphire dropped. There is a reason for acrylic and Hesalite being used on military watches. Unlike mineral glass and sapphire, it doesn't shatter. It can be scratched, chipped and gouged, but it's much more difficult to crack or break compared to mineral and sapphire as it flexes on impact. In addition, they're easily molded with a dome shape eliminating the mirror effect a dead flat crystal has which is a light and reflection discipline killer They've got a duller surface finish even when new that reduces the specular highlights under sunlight and other strong light sources.
Really thorough. Thank you Marc for this series, really looking forward to what you have in store!
Your "Look and Learn" videos are so informative and easy to understand. Thank you.
Another great instruction vid from you. Thanks.
Can't believe this is free, like going to college for watches.
Haha, I'll take your college savings money :)
These watch and learn videos are so valuable for us beginners to the hobby of watch collecting, I appreciate your effort teaching these concepts
Just started looking into collecting and I know nothing about watches. The first two videos are great and will continue watching and liking the rest. Thank you for the work you put in.
Fascinating! I'm going back to watch all the Watch & Learn segments!
"PolyWatch, it looks like toothpaste, smells and tastes like toothpaste, cleans my teeth, again just like toothpaste."
That Sinn is a killer watch! Great informative video. Thank you for posting!
Thank you. I am learning something new with each episode.
The water test was fascinating. I also ordered some Polywatch.
Awesome, love the series so far!
Excellent Video. I have a Seiko Hardlex front and back on mine. Not as good as Sapphire but remain flawless to this day.
Enjoy your series,thanks!
Great, simple advice..just restoring a steeplechase mens watch by concord..i am pleased to report my crystal is sapphire. The cool to the touch, and beading water confirmed it. Thank you so much.
Thanks. Just ordered some poly watch for a vintage IWC.
Mark, somehow I missed this one. I'm glad I caught it now. Very Interesting. Thanks 😎👍
Thanks Mark! These series are great!
Great information. I really enjoyed learning about watch crystals.
the Russian made Vostok Amphibia 200m divewatches use a domed plastic crystal that is actually designed to increase the water resistance of the watch. As depth increases the crystal deforms and actually presses harder on the gasket underneath it. this along with a similar method used on the screw-down case back allows the watch to become more water resistant the deeper it goes.
Great observation. Sort of like how an arch is the most efficient engineering structure. A dome is just a 3 dimensional arch.
This is a great video, glad to learn the basics of watches. Thank you for the video.
Great series! Really enjoyed it so far.
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting video Mark, love these type of videos , simple but great to watch and learn as title states.👍
Beginners guide to movements ...
got it, thanks!
Nicely done! Would like to see more info (video) on the parts of mechanical watch - how the gear train works and what each piece does. Thank you
Great video! Super informative! Can you do a video on the different types of movements, and the pros and cons of each?
Great video! Informative as always.
Great info as always. I would love a video explaining how to use GMT. Recently purchased one and I'm confused lol
thanks. I found the water test most interesting.
Pretty cool, right?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Your content is top-notch, sir.
Nice video Mark, very informative, thank you. Keep them coming,
regards.
Thank you.
Having watched some of your interesting videos, I'm now going through the series from the start! There's always stuff to learn: I didn't know about the water droplet test. Very interesting. The late UK antiques expert Arthur Negus used to test porcelain by gently tapping them on his front teeth. It can give an indication of a watch crystal too. Having said that, doing either that or just tapping with a finger on the Hardlex of my Seiko SKX007, it sounds/feels more solid than one of my sapphire crystals..! Thanks for a great series Mark (Marc?). Regards. Tim.
Thank you for tuning in!
Great video as always! Another thing to keep in mind(surely you just forgot to mention) is that the bigger the diameter of the crystal, the more expensive it also becomes. Keep'm coming!
Quite true, thank you!
Another very informative video thanks for the time, and your effort Mark.👍
⌚⌚⌚⌚⌚ five watch star's 👏🖖
Awesome vids. Very educational. Subscribed.
Hi Marc, it would be great to see a watch and learn on removing and treating crystal scratches :)
These are great, Marc!
Very interesting. Especially the "Lotus Effect". The only disadvantage of sapphire is it's brittleness. It's very scratch resistant but it's likely to crack if it hits a hard surface.
I've found sapphire to be extremely durable. They're generally made thick enough to withstand some impacts during normal wear. They can be gouged or chipped if banged against a very sharp and hard object. They can be shattered, but all the watches I own with sapphire would have to be hit extremely hard to shatter the crystal.
Much appreciated Mark. Now I have a clear idea in regards to crystals.
Great, thank you.
Thanks Marc for the lesson! 👍
I'm trying to get a green crystal replacement for my milgauss. I am looking for the best quality and closest to the gen without purchasing through rolex.
great video very informative ........other video suggestions type of moments auto,manual wind,solar powered.quartz, kinetic.
or another suggestion watch types dive,flight dress, field................love your content .
Thank you. Great suggestions! Noted.
Wow omg I love this video!, especially the water hack
It is good information and appreciated. Liked and subscribed.
Cheers! 👍 Hydrophobic, now that’s a great way to describe the sapphire crystal. 😉
So what you're saying is to take heed from your friends painful tale of woe and always be sure to have a "no diamonds" policy set forth prior to engaging in any type of physical activity that may endanger the sanctity of your sapphire crystal. It sounds reasonable to me. Will do!
LOL!
Great channel. How about a video on water resistant testing of watches during manufacture. Do they test deeper than they specify on watch cases etc...
I have a few questions, what about mineral crystals that are sapphire coated? Is it really a plus? How long does the coating last? Can it be reapplied? By the way, I love the Watch and Learn series. You share important information and in an entertaining manner)))
Very informative, I have learned a lot about watches from your great videos, keep up and thank you very much for the effort!
Thanks for watching!
Great content! Thank you.
Great vid especially the water test info. Are there different levels of hardness with the sapphire crystal?
very helpful tips, thanks!
Hello there!!! Thank you so much for your videos, Ive been watching them for almost 2 hours now. You are a kind person for sharing your talents, I been picking up watches at estate sales and want to add it to my many interests how to fix them when I retire from my job next year!!!
My question to you or maybe a watch and learn? Some of the watches i purchased have no batteries in them nor have written any where battery size info. What would be the best way to get batteries that would work best?
The water droplet test was fascinating.
I’m a welder and with anything but sapphire I have a problem of if a spark hits the crystal it will actually melt it and leave a little divot where the spark hit it
7:25 Hmmm please correct me if I am mistaken but normal glass is more shatter-resistant than sapphire due to it being less stiff (lower number on Mohs scale of hardness). Sapphire is harder, more difficult to scratch, but because of this reason it shatters easier too, it's not as good in putting up with vibration.
I think you're right...
I would like to about mineral crystals that have a sapphire coating. Is it durable? How long does the coating last? Great series, thanks for sharing your time knowledge.
Really appreciate your effort
VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION.I have a Rolex I am having a sapphire crystal installed.
Nice video, well done!
Brilliant, very educative. As an engineer + watch enthusiast, its great to combine my two passions, just as you do. Great video, hope there is plenty more of this series to come.
+ I live in the UK and I have just discovered that you are capable of shipping watches to the UK. So glad I've found a place where I can buy brand new mechanical pieces from a trusted online source.
best regards, James
Bulova accutron spaceview would be a request enjoyed this vid alot
Great video! Loved the part where you do the tests with water.
18 minutes and it completely was worth my time!
I lowkey hoped that you'd destroy them to show us how resistant they're, but you've probably payed for them so I can understand it...
Is it possible to replace plexiglass from vintage Rolex with a sapphire??
Nice to have an ME explain watches.
Very informative Mark :)
Great video! Thanks
The water trick actually works thank you 😊
Excellent as usual Marc. How about a video on servicing are there different levels
Thank you; added to my list!
Hi mark. I learned so much from your videos about watches. They are very interesting. Recently I've purchased 350$ divers watch from MVMT. They claimed that the watch have sapphire.ive tested it in a diamond shop and it was showing sapphire. But once I've bumped it on a wall tile and it got scratched. Does sapphire really scratch?
My Citizen watches have Swarovski crystals and my Luminox has sapphire crystal. I've found that the Citizen crystals are pretty much scratch resistant.
do the different types of leather for straps! or just the different types of straps.
Okay. There's a Horween video coming out soon.
thanks, Marc!
Have you done it?
Hi mark, I've watched this video a couple of times now, very interesting, is the cyclops saffhire as well as the crystal? Many thanks.
Excellent video
Is it possible to swap a mineral crystal to acrylic? I wanna do it for my Bambino
There is an easy way to tell sapphire from mineral; based on sapphire, being crystalline in structure, being a much better conductor of heat than glass . . . This is easiest to do when you have a 'control' watch with a known material used for the crystal. You can try this for yourself with two watches; one sapphire, the other mineral: leave both watches on a surface well away from heat (even body heat), for a few moments to equilibrate, then simply pick up on after the other and touch the 'glass' briefly against your lips. The sapphire will feel noticeably colder than the glass. This is only really useful when you have control watches of known material as it relies on the perceived difference between the two materials
Thank you very informative video.
How do you tell the degrees of a crystal. The arch some vintage watches have.
You can easily scratch the anti-reflective coating. Also some coating give off a blue hue. I’m not sure what the different types of coatings.
Different materials will give a different contact angle which is the amount of spherical nature of the drop, Based on hydrophobicity
Very informative. Thank you.
Great, thank you.
Thanks Marc very informative
Thank you
Great video! There are many different type of case back like screw down etc. Can you maybe cover this and what its impact on water resistant? Also, which one is the best? Thanks.
Thank you, noted!
thanks for a great review man !
Hello, Great series, thanks for taking the time to make it for us. Here's a request and a couple of pieces of information. The request first: You said you had your Sinn for ~10 years. How often should a mechanical watch been taken in to be serviced (cleaned and lubricated)? Also, since quartz watches have moving parts, and some even have jeweled bearings, should they be serviced too? And now a couple of factoids: First, the tube, cylinder or dowel shaped thing which sapphire crystals are cut from is called a "boule". Next, if a person is wants to know if their watch has a plastic crystal as opposed to one made of glass or sapphire, there are a couple of fast and fun tests. They can see if their crystal shows finger prints easily. If it does, then it is not plastic. Another test is to place the crystal of their watch on their forehead. If it feels cold, like the metal back of the watch, then the crystal is glass/sapphire. If it feels warm, as opposed to the metal case back, then the crystal is plastic.
Great information. Thank you! I come from the camp that says "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". My Sinn has never been serviced, its the most accurate watch I own. Ditto with quartz. Though quartz watches, like autos, can indeed be overhauled. I know I'm in the minority where this is concerned, but I feel that there's much more that can go wrong by removing 50 parts and then putting them back, then if you didn't do anything in the first place. If it needs service because its not operating correctly, then of course, service it.
Thanks Marc.
Long Island Watch thanks
This chanel is excellent.
Marc, another great and informative video. Love how the water test came out. There is a polishing compound that contains diamond dust that should take scratches out of sapphire crystals. We use it on aircraft windshields when they get scratches. It's not cheap, but compared to replacing a sapphire crystal, it might be worth it.
While researching the video I came across a variety of compounds for many industries. Cool about the A/C windshields.Thanks for sharing.
Very informative!
Great information thanks!
Nice info ....thanks
Thank you for watching!
I have a Sector plastic case watch which I want to upgrade with mineral or sapphire glass. Is it possible? I don't know about any plastic case/glass combination watches (probably I don't know a lot about watches anyway)...
Mark what spring bar tool do you recommend for multi-brands ? Do you have a brand name preference? Thanks
That Sinn Chronograph was freakin' awesome!
hi
how do I remove antiglare coat from my watch crystal, it has loads of scratches !
I grew up on Long Island, the watch information is interesting, but your Long Island accent so reminds me of home.
Be well.
thanks for the lesson
should we mention that one glass is domed the other is flat? wouldn't that also alter the way the droplet behave?
how do I know what kind of glass my seiko watch has? It's fairly old
great video, Marc.
just got a Pulsar, very flat, nearly flush crystal, . Hardlex mineral with incorpoated boron.
very clear view, maybe some coating. my watch solar, black textured dial,gold hands,indexes, lumed.. told that gold tone links, dial ring, hands,indexes, all PVD'd
is it true saphire more prone to shattering on an impact?
why is Pulsar, Seiko's mid-range brand ignored by you guys - experts?- cos all quartz-based?
Pulsar designs different to Seiko collections. my 3rd one, all AOK.-accurate,strong, well finished.
I, for one would like to see some review-tests on them,